Second Life Skin Texturing Demo As Proof of Skin Ownership

Let's say you created a photorealistic Second Life skin, and then discovered that someone else was re-selling elements from it, claiming it as their own. How would you prove you were the original creator? Here's a novel solution: Shoot a time lapse video that compresses the four hour creation process into an impressive five minutes.

At least that's the given motivation for this video, which shows how the artist used DeepPaint3D to create an avatar skin from numerous photo sources. "As you can see," the video annotation states, "I'm piecing the entire head up from many image pieces, which is why my work definitely doesn't look like anyone else's who uses the same photo references." That dispute aside, the video is worth watching in its own right, as a mesmerizing testament to the effort that goes into a photorealistic Second Life avatar skin.

Hat tip: Tinas Universum

Comments

[Ann Otoole]

Is someone disputing a skin copyright in court?

[Frans]

I think it is about public perception.

[Arcadia Codesmith]

Given that the new SL motto appears to be "Your IP. Your Problem", documenting the process couldn't hurt. Document, register, takedown, litigate. It's using a nuke to swat flys, but they won't give us flyswatters.

[Paige]

That was one of the more amazing "creation videos" I've seen in a while, and agreed; nuke em.

[Naergilien Wunderlich]

Yes, Ann, this case will go to court, as soon as I've saved up for the initial pay the lawyer asks for. This step is only necessary because the reselling person actually contested my DMCA, so now there's nothing I can do or LindenLabs can do, going to court is the only way now.

I've actually had the chance (while working closely together with one of her buyers) to look at the textures that are in her resource pack, and yes, those are overpainted versions of my resource pack. Those textures and that other buyer will be very useful in court, I guess.
Yet and still, that seller still claims she made the skin, so I think it's time for some sort of lesson.
Since that very same person complained some time ago on Flickr that 'never once is the cam on your work', I thought I should help with that too - I wonder if *she* can do the same...? :-)

Thank you Hamlet for linking the video, by the way - I just found out about it when looking at my Youtube statistics :-)

Best wishes,
Naergi